Excavating machine



March 8,1927. TLLOFTUS 1 75 EXCAVATING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1926 \JffiO .5 INmNTOR v 1 TLLOfzfuS.

A TTORNE YS 'THUMAS LAWRENZGE LOFT US, DEITV'ER, CQIJOBADO, ASSIGNOR T0ELLEN VIRGINIA V TIMM, 6F DENVER, COLORADO.

EXCAVAT-I'NG MACHINE.

Application filed January 25., 1926. Serial No. 83,695.

My invention relates to improvements in excavating machines, and itconsists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements hereindescribed and claimed.

An object .of my invention is to provide an excavating machine which isadapted to dig trenches of various widths and depths, or which may beused for digging and elevating potatoes or the like, the device whenused for this latter work employing a chain belt to permit the dirt tofall from the potatoes.

A further object of my invention is to provide .a device of the typedescribed which is extremely simple in construction, durable.

and iefficient for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed outin the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming partof this application, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of thedevice,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device,

Figure 3 is a plan view of a chain belt employed with the device,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the digging point,

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the device, and

Figure 6 is a section along the line 66 of Figure 5.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a frame 1 mounted upon wheels 2.The front wheels 2 are connected to the frame 1 by means of a rockerbolster 3. A tongue 4 is connected to the bolster 3 for permitting thedevice to be drawn by horses. It is obvious that the device may be drawnby a tractor, if desired.

The frame 1 carries uprights 5, these uprights being braced by bracingbars 6. A conveyor frame 7 is pivotally secured to the uprights 5adjacent to the top of the up rights. The conveyor frame 7 carries anendless belt 8 for conveying dirt to a chute 9. \Vhen potatoes are beingdug, the belt 8 is removed and a. chain belt 10 of the type shown inFigure 3 is substituted therefor. This belt permits the dirt to fallfrom the potatoes or other articles dug while conveying the potatoes tothe chute 9.

In Figure 1, I show an engine 11 which is operatively connected to theconveyor belt 8 by means of a belt or chain 12. A clutch, not shown, maybe used for operative'ly connecting or for disconnecting the engine 11from the conveyor belt 8.

The forward end of the conveyor frame 7 is pivot-ally connected toa'digging point 13 at 14. The point in turn is pivotally connected at 15to a. supporting bar 16, the latter being pivotal'ly secured at 17 tothe frame 1. The pivot pin 17 carries a sleeve 18 through which the bar16 1s slidably disposed. This bar is provided with a. plurality ofopenings 19 for receiving what I term .a ratchet 20, which in reality isa .pin, remova'bly disposed in any one of the openings 19.

The pin 20 is carried a guide member 21 and this member in turn iscarried by the sleeve 18 so as to be moved when the sleeve is moved. Itis obvious that when the bar 16 is lowered, the frame 7 will pivot aboutthe upright 5 and will carry the digging point 13 in a circular path,thereby causing the bar 16 to pivot at the pointl7.

To permit this movement, I mount an idler pulley 22 on an arm 23 andpivotally secure this arm to the upright 5 at 24. A spring 25 yieldinglyholds the pulley 22 in contact with the belt 12. lVhen the frame 7 is inthe position shown in Figure 1, the idler pulley 22 takes up some of theslack in the belt 12. This slack is for the purpose of per mitting theframe 7 to pivot about the upper ends of the uprights 5 without causingthe belt to bind upon the pulley 26.

The special construction of the digging point 13 is shown in Figure 4.It will be noted from this figure that the digging point ischannel-shaped and carries cutting discs 27 on the sides thereof. Thesediscs determine the width of the trench dug. The forward end of thedigging point is rounded at 28 for the purpose of scooping the dirt.Cutter points 29 are removably carried by the member 13 and are for thepurpose of loosening up the ground just in front of the digging point.As the machine, is moved forward, the loosened ground is received by thedigging point and is then conveyed onto the conveyor belt 8 by means ofan upwardly curved rear end portion 30, this portion overlying the lowerend of the conveyor belt.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood. As

stated in the first part of the specification, the device may be usedfor digging a trench or removing potatoes or the like from'the ground.WVhen potatoes are being dug, the digging point 13 is disposedsubstantially in the position shown in Figure l. The chain belt shown inFigure 3 is used, and it will therefore be apparent that as the deviceis moved over the ground, it Will remove the potatoes from the ground,convey the potatoes and dirt upon the chain belt 10, and then Willconvey the potatoes to the chute 9, the dirt in the meanwhile droppingthrough the chain belt 10.

In digging a trench, disc cutters 27 are adjusted for the desired Widthof trench. In addition, the frame 7 together with the digging point 13,is lowered to the desired depth the pin or bolt'20 being inserted in oneof the openings 19 as soon as the adjustment has been made. Asheretofore stated, the bar 16 Will slide through the sleeve 18 and Willcause the sleeve to pivot on the point 17. The guide member 21 Will alsoswing With the sleeve 18, thereby keeping the bolt in close proximity tothe bar 16 at all times. The device is now ready for digging.

The excavator may be drawn by horses or by a tractor, and as it is drawnforward, it Will dig a trench of the desired depth and Width and Willconvey the dirt onto the conveyor belt8, this belt subsequentlydelivering the dirt to the chute 9. The chute is at a suiiicient heightabove the ground to permit the chute to deliver the dirt by gravity to aWagon, if desired. The pivot point 15 is provided with clamping means,such as Wing nuts 31 for rigidly securing the digging point to the bar16. This construction prevents the buckling of the digging point 13 atthe points of pivot 14 and 15.

I claim:

An excavator comprising a frame, Wheels for supporting said frame, adigging point, cutter discs adjustably carried by said digging pointcutters carried by said digging point, means for adjusting said diggingpoint with respect to said frame, a conveyorhingedly secured at one endto said digging point and pivotally carried by said frame, an endlessbelt carried by said conveyor, means for actuating said endless belt achute disposed beneath the free end of said conveyor a suflicientdistance above said frame to permit the substance carried by theconveyor to be emptied into the chute.

THOMAS LAWRENCE LOFTUS.

